Information about connecting to a GPS device

A Global Positioning System (GPS) device allows you to quickly find your position to within several meters. To display and save positions reported by a GPS device in ArcMap using ArcMap GPS Support, the GPS device must have an input/output (I/O) interface and be National Marine and Electronics Association (NMEA, http://www.nmea.org) compliant. You also need a GPS-compatible cable that connects to a computer. Refer to the GPS device documentation or contact the GPS manufacturer if you're uncertain whether your device meets these requirements.

USB and Bluetooth devices

ArcMap's GPS toolbar requires a communications (COM) port connection. The GPS Connection Setup dialog box will not recognize a GPS device connected via Universal Serial Bus (USB) port. Some GPS device manufacturers provide drivers to map the USB connection to a virtual COM port that then can be used. Bluetooth devices also can be configured to use a virtual COM port.